For (charter) school leaders to consider as their school models evolve: what is the purpose of comparing your school's model to other schools in your area? What is your (charter) school's identity compared to other schools in your community? It's easy to fall into the trap of telling ourselves (and others) that our school is simply *better/newer/more innovation/more creative/more equitable* than other schools...this keeps the conversation on the surface level. People might even try to peddle that superficial story of "charter=innovation=better" ABOUT us and TO us. After all, some people might welcome a shiny, new school like your new charter school given the low performance of district schools. It might be easier than actually interrogating the systems that lead to low educational outcomes and huge disparities in your community in the first place.
Persistently low educational outcomes among children can evoke feelings of pain/shame/grief in adults - our children are suffering. We want that to stop. People inside and outside of the district, and inside and outside of education, and inside and outside of your community, might look for a "magical solution" to the problem of persistent low academic performance and outcomes for your community's kiddos. Although a superficial story and magical thinking (like "charter=innovation=better") might make us (adults) feel better, it does not fix the problems for our kiddos. The world is much more complicated and humbling than that simple story suggests.
Your team is in a position to craft a narrative that elevates the conversation beyond "choice" and "charters" and "innovation" towards one that centers deep questions about educational equity and social justice - more nuanced, less simplistic, and told with humility, grace, and wisdom. We're talking about embedded systems of inequality, internalized/explicit/implicit/systemic racism, economic injustice, exploitation, and generations of trauma and pain. Grounding ourselves in these realities gives our stories urgency and authenticity, and telling the right story from this sobering foundation can help build momentum and trust for our school model.
Some angles to consider:
1. The value of choice for families and collective professional autonomy for educators
2. The value of integrated, diverse and equitable schools
3. The power of project based learning
4. The power of community connections
5. A lab for innovation that will benefit the entire ecosystem of schools – but how??
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